What Market Research & Feasibility Studies Involves
Every year, businesses across Kenya launch products, enter new markets, or open new locations based on gut feel rather than evidence — and a large share of those ventures underperform or fail because the underlying demand, competitive intensity, or cost structure was never properly tested. A feasibility study is far cheaper than a failed launch, but it only has value if the research behind it is rigorous enough to actually change a decision.
We conduct primary and secondary market research, competitive intelligence, consumer surveys, and feasibility studies to help you make evidence-based business decisions before investing resources. Our research combines field data collection — surveys, interviews, and focus groups with real consumers and stakeholders — with desk research and financial feasibility modelling, giving clients a grounded, honest picture of whether an opportunity is worth pursuing and, if so, how to position for it.
We deliberately design studies to be capable of returning an uncomfortable answer. Roughly three in ten of our feasibility studies conclude with a no-go or a materially revised recommendation, because a study designed only to confirm what a client already believes is not research — it is expensive validation theatre. Clients come back to us precisely because the recommendation is grounded in what the data actually shows, not in what would be pleasant to hear.
Every study ties market findings directly to financial outcomes rather than stopping at descriptive insight. A feasibility analysis is only useful if it answers the question that actually matters: given realistic demand, competitive response, and cost structure, does this opportunity clear the return threshold that justifies committing capital to it — and if it does, what specifically needs to be true for that to hold.
The Problems Behind the Request
Organisations rarely come to us asking for a technology by name — they come with a business problem. Here is what typically drives demand for market research & feasibility studies.
Launch Decisions Based on Gut Feel
Products, locations and new markets get greenlit on founder conviction alone, with no independent test of whether real demand exists.
Unproven Market-Size Claims
Business cases lean on asserted market-size figures pulled from a generic report rather than research grounded in the specific opportunity.
Underestimated Competitive Intensity
Entrants misjudge how crowded a market already is, or how existing players will respond, until they are already operating and losing money.
Wrong Location or Channel Bets
Retail, hospitality and real estate decisions get made on visible foot traffic alone, missing the deeper demographic and spending-power data that actually predicts performance.
Capital Committed Before Validation
Significant investment goes into build-out or inventory before anyone has rigorously tested whether the target customer will actually pay for what is being offered.
No Objective Go/No-Go Signal
Internal teams are too close to a project to deliver an honest kill decision, even when the evidence clearly points that way.
How It Fits Into Your Environment
A reference architecture showing how this service integrates with your existing systems, data, and infrastructure to produce a measurable business outcome.
What We Deliver
Primary Field Research
Consumer surveys, stakeholder interviews and focus group discussions conducted directly with your actual target market.
✓ Real demand signal, not assumptionSecondary & Desk Research
Market-size, growth-trend and industry-benchmark research drawn from credible, cited sources rather than a single generic figure.
✓ A market picture you can defendCompetitive Landscape Mapping
Direct and indirect competitor intelligence covering positioning, pricing, and likely competitive response to your entry.
✓ No blind spots on who you are actually up againstFeasibility Analysis
Market, technical, operational and financial feasibility assessed together, not as disconnected workstreams.
✓ One coherent viability pictureSite & Location Feasibility
Location-specific studies for retail, hospitality and real estate ventures combining footfall, demographic and spending-power data.
✓ Location bets grounded in data, not visibility aloneClear Go/No-Go Recommendation
A direct recommendation backed by the underlying data — including a no-go where the evidence supports it.
✓ An honest answer before capital is committedCapability-by-Capability Breakdown
| Capability | Description | Business Value | Technologies | Deliverable |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Research Design & Scoping | Defining the specific research questions and the right mix of primary and secondary methods to answer them. | Research that actually answers the decision at hand | Research design frameworks, Excel | Research design & methodology brief |
| Primary Data Collection | Surveys, interviews and focus groups run with real consumers, stakeholders or competitors as required. | Genuine demand and sentiment signal | SurveyMonkey, Typeform, Google Forms, field teams | Raw and cleaned survey/interview dataset |
| Secondary / Desk Research | Market-size, growth-trend and benchmark research from credible industry and government sources. | A defensible market-size and trend picture | Industry databases, government statistics, Excel | Market landscape & trend report |
| Competitive Intelligence | Mapping direct and indirect competitors on positioning, pricing and likely response to entry. | Clear-eyed view of competitive intensity | Field audits, desk research, Excel | Competitive landscape map |
| Feasibility Modelling | Tying market findings to a financial feasibility model covering costs, revenue potential, and return thresholds. | A number-backed viability answer, not just narrative insight | Excel/Power BI financial models | Financial feasibility model |
| Findings & Recommendation | A clear, evidence-backed go/no-go recommendation with supporting rationale and key risk flags. | A decision you can act on with confidence | PowerPoint, structured reporting templates | Final feasibility report & recommendation |
Built for Your Sector's Realities
Healthcare
Feasibility studies for new clinics, diagnostic centres and health-service expansion into new catchment areas.
Government
Baseline market and demand studies supporting county investment projects and public-private partnerships.
Banking & Finance
Feasibility research for new branch locations, digital product launches, and underserved-market entry.
Agriculture
Market and value-chain feasibility studies for processing facilities, export ventures, and new crop lines.
Manufacturing
Demand and competitive feasibility research ahead of new production lines or capacity expansion.
Education
Feasibility studies for new campuses, programme launches, and edtech product-market fit.
Retail & E-commerce
Site selection and demand feasibility studies for new store locations and e-commerce category entry.
Insurance
Market research for new insurance products and underserved-segment feasibility assessment.
NGOs & Development
Baseline market and needs-assessment data supporting programme design and donor proposals.
Tools & Platforms We Use
SurveyMonkey
Typeform
Google Forms
Google Sheets
Zoom
Google Drive
DropboxA Structured Approach, A Guaranteed Outcome
Deliverables
Everything Handed Over at Project Close
- Primary market research — consumer surveys, interviews, and focus group discussions
- Secondary/desk research on market size, growth trends, and industry benchmarks
- Competitive landscape mapping and competitor intelligence
- Feasibility analysis covering market, technical, operational, and financial dimensions
- Site or location-specific feasibility studies for retail, hospitality, and real estate ventures
- Consumer segmentation and target market profiling
- A financial feasibility model tying market findings to projected returns
- A clear go/no-go recommendation backed by the underlying data
- A risk register flagging the key assumptions the recommendation depends on
- A presentation-ready summary deck for internal or investor audiences
- Full raw and cleaned dataset from primary research
Real Results, Real Impact
Location Feasibility Study for a Retail Chain Expansion
The chain selected the data-recommended site over the one with the highest visible foot traffic, which the research showed had a materially weaker target-customer spending profile.
Export-Market Feasibility Study for an Agribusiness Venture
The study returned a no-go on the originally intended market once real logistics costs were modelled, and identified a second market where the same product achieved a viable margin — avoiding a capital commitment that would not have paid back.
Product-Market Feasibility Study for a Hospitality Concept
The entrepreneur negotiated more favourable lease terms using the study's realistic break-even timeline, rather than signing on the optimistic assumptions in the original informal plan.
What Clients Typically See
An Enterprise-Grade Delivery Partner
Real Field Data, Not Desk Research Alone
Genuine field data collection across Kenya and East Africa underpins every study, not repackaged secondary sources.
Honest, Evidence-Driven Recommendations
We tell clients when an opportunity is not feasible, not just when it is — roughly three in ten studies return a no-go.
Findings Tied Directly to Financial Outcomes
Feasibility modelling connects market findings to projected returns, not just descriptive market insight.
Cross-Sector Research Experience
Teams experienced across retail, agribusiness, financial services, hospitality and development sectors.
Fast, Rigorous Turnaround
Structured research design and field-team capacity that delivers rigorous findings without unnecessary delay.
Confidential Handling of Sensitive Plans
Pre-launch and pre-investment research is handled under strict confidentiality throughout the engagement.
Common Questions From Buyers
Market research answers whether demand exists and how the market is structured; a feasibility study goes further, tying that market evidence to a financial model to answer whether the specific opportunity is viable given realistic costs and returns.
Most studies take 3 to 8 weeks depending on the scope of fieldwork required, the geographic coverage, and whether a full financial feasibility model is included.
Both. Primary field research — surveys, interviews and focus groups with real consumers or stakeholders — is combined with secondary desk research, because desk research alone often misses local market nuance.
Yes. Roughly three in ten of our studies conclude with a no-go or a materially revised recommendation — we design studies capable of returning an answer you may not want to hear, because that is where the real value is.
Yes. Site and location feasibility studies combining demographic, footfall and competitive-density data are a core part of this service, particularly for retail, hospitality and real estate ventures.
Yes. We have delivered market and feasibility research across multiple East African markets, adapting fieldwork logistics and sampling to each specific market.
Sample sizes are designed around the specific research question and target population — ranging from focused stakeholder interviews in the dozens to broader consumer surveys in the hundreds, scoped during research design.
Yes. Findings are commonly incorporated directly into business plans and investor pitch decks — our Business Planning & Investment Consulting team frequently works from the same research.
It ties your projected costs and revenue — grounded in the market research findings — to a break-even timeline and return threshold, so you can see numerically, not just narratively, whether the opportunity clears the bar.
Yes. Competitive landscape mapping specifically addresses this — identifying direct and indirect competitors, their positioning, and how they are likely to respond to your entry.
Both. You receive the final report and recommendation as well as the underlying cleaned dataset from any primary research conducted, so your team can interrogate the findings directly if needed.
Yes. Pre-launch concepts and investment plans are handled under strict confidentiality, with non-disclosure terms available on request before fieldwork begins.
Yes. Concept testing — presenting a described or prototyped product to target consumers to gauge genuine interest and willingness to pay — is a standard method for pre-launch products.
Pricing depends on the scope of fieldwork, sample size, geographic coverage, and whether a financial feasibility model is included. We confirm a fixed quote after the discovery and scoping call.
Yes. Comparative feasibility studies assessing two or more options side by side against the same research and financial criteria are common, particularly for location and market-entry decisions.
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